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Vegan radish leaf pesto: Don’t waste those greens!

I just returned from my first trip to Winnipeg for the Dietitians of Canada National Conference.

The conference was amazing. I spent three days networking with lots of incredible and inspiring dietitians, listening to great sessions on a variety of topics (there were so many awesome speakers), and eating great food.

To top it off, Winnipeg was beautiful! Going to conferences is such a great opportunity to explore a new city. (I can’ wait for next years in Newfoundland!) I tried to get out for short runs in the mornings to explore a bit.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg

I tend to eat more than normal and exercise less when away at conferences. I always crave a good exercise session and fresh fruits and vegetables when I get home. So, this morning I got up early, went for a run with one of my best friends (also an RD blogger over at Berry Nourished), and hit up the first Mount Pleasant Farmers Market!

I came home with so many goodies (some pictured below). Farmers markets make me really excited.

As I was cleaning my radishes, I noticed how fresh and perfect the greens were. While I must admit, I usually toss them in the compost, I couldn’t bear to do it today!

Greens are always great for pesto. So that became the radish green’s fate. It turned out so tasty — I just had to share the recipe.

Pesto can be used for so many things: on eggs, on crackers/ toast, tossed with pasta, to marinate meats, in sandwiches, on potatoes. Just use your imagination! Here’s some more ideas. (This is a flexible recipe. Adapt as you wish.)

Vegan Radish Leaf Pesto

Ingredients

2 large handfuls radish leaves (from about 10-11 radishes)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp nutritional yeast (use a hard cheese, like Parmesan, if you prefer)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (plus some zest if you really like lemon)

1/3-1/2 cup raw walnuts, halves or pieces

1/2 tsp chili flakes

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper, to taste (use smoked salt if you have it)

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, add more oil to thin as desired (I prefer to keep it thicker)

Scrape down the sides and blend again

Use immediately. Store left over pesto for a few days in the fridge. You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray and then transfer the pesto cubes to a freezer bag for easy additions to soups, pastas, etc.